Custom 1993 Toyota Standard Cab - Sole Survivor

Outlast Your Rivals

This is the story of a truck purchased new and rebuilt so many times that even the owner lost count of how many phases it has gone through. Daniel "Brian" Baty bought this Toyota standard cab brand-new in 1993. Soon after purchasing the truck, he lowered the then-white pickup, cut off the roof, and shaved the body. After putting the truck back into white, a basic graphic scheme was added, which left most of the body white.

During the next 12 years, Brian worked on his truck nonstop and never ceased trying to make his project reflect the most aggressive customization imaginable. We've never seen an enthusiast who is more committed to one truck. This single vehicle, under the ownership of one man, has had four distinctly different paintjobs, seven sets of custom wheels, and four complete interior makeovers. If some of the truck looks a bit familiar, it would be because the truck has been featured before. That article was shot and published before the installation of theV-8 it has today, or the graphic scheme it now sports.

Since most of the story has been told before, we'll focus on Brian's inability to leave well enough alone. You see, Brian has an illness that many of us suffer from. That illness forces us to constantly tune and develop our rides. So stricken are many with this malady that most mini-truckers agree: A true custom is never finished. Unless an owner parts ways with his truck by crashing it into oblivion, or selling off the fruits of his labors, he will continue to tinker until the truck has become the most incredibly detailed machine most will ever lay eyes upon. This is exactly what Brian spent 12 years doing with the Toyota.

The most current incarnation of the truck changed the outward appearance, with a massive graphic scheme sprayed by Keith at After Hours Customs in Dallas, Georgia. Once the new paint scheme was complete, Brian took it upon himself to revamp the interior with a new dash and new upholstery to perfectly complement the new graphics. This meant a new dash for the truck, which he worked on himself, as well as new door panels. With so many picky elements of the interior, Brian was able to keep himself more than busy, getting it all together so that he wouldn't miss any show action in the middle of it all.

As a final step, Brian wanted to make a huge change to the Toyota's displacement. He'd always wanted to put a big-horsepower motor into a pickup, but the original 22RE engine the truck came with had treated him so well over the years that he hadn't had the heart to yank out the trusty mill until now. What he ended up with was a 305ci V-8, which cranks out far more ponies than the original 2.4L four-cylinder engine ever could've mustered. With the new engine in place, Brian began detailing the new mill and making it appear as though it had always belonged under the hood of his painstakingly assembled Toyota.

When we featured Brian's Toyota the last time, he'd told us the story of how his beloved Toyota had pretty much caused the breakup of his marriage. By looking at the most recent version of the truck, we have to assume that Mr. Baty is still amongst the singles crowd. He does, however, have the bragging rights to have built one of the most incredibly detailed trucks ever to come out of the South.

Editor's NoteRecently, Brian sold his Toyota and has begun working on different projects. We can hardly believe that the absolute legacy of his owning the truck has come to an end. In the hands of the new owner, though, we can only hope that what Brian started will continue, since this true custom will never truly be finished.